Plant Biology Research

Researchers at York address fundamental problems from across plant biology including physiological adaptation, plant nutrition, primary and secondary metabolism and intracellular and intercellular signalling. These scientists use diverse approaches spanning classical molecular genetics and biochemistry through post-genomic and advanced imaging technologies.

Impact

Research in the Plant Biology addresses all the three global challenges that the Department of Biology has prioritised. Below are examples of how plant biology research benefits society. You will find further examples in the Impact pages.

Examples of plant biology projects

P4FIFTY is an FP7 funded European Marie Curie Training network led from York consisting of academic and industrial researchers looking to develop enzymatic methods for green oxidation chemistry through the isolation, redesign and application of cytochrome P450 enzymes.

Sustainable Liquid Biofuels from Biorefining (SUNLIBB) integrates Brazilian expertise in sugar cane breeding and bioethanol process engineering with EU expertise in genomics, plant science and green chemistry to open the way for sustainable lignocellulosic bioethanol production.

PHYTOCAT Catalysing the recovery of metals. Researchers from the Departments of Biology and Chemistry are investigating how plants extract platinum group metals from soil and redeposit the metal as nanoparticles. They aim to develop a green method for extracting metals from mine tailings that are currently uneconomical to recover.‌

Professor Ian A Graham, Head of Department and Weston Chair of Biochemical Genetics: regulation of processes associated with seed germination and discovering and improving the production of high value chemicals in plants

Professor Sue Hartley, Director of York Environmental Sustainability Institute: interactions between plants and insect and mammalian herbivores as well as fungi and parasitic plants